Welcome to the CWA Margery Allingham Short Mystery Competition
This prestigious international competition is open to all – published and unpublished authors from all over the world – and is for short stories of up to 3,500 words. The story must not have been published anywhere, or shortlisted for this competition.
The 2022 competition closes on Monday 28 February 2022 at 6pm GMT. Entry is from this web page.
Our mission is to find the best unpublished short mystery – one that fits into legendary crime writer Margery’s definition of what makes a great story:
“The Mystery remains box-shaped, at once a prison and a refuge. Its four walls are, roughly, a Crime, a Mystery, an Enquiry and a Conclusion with an Element of Satisfaction in it.”
Please note that following this definition accounts for more points when the entries are scored than any other criteria. For the best chance of winning, please follow this chronology in your story.
You are welcome to use the CWA’s Mini Critiques or editing service for your entry prior to submitting.
Announcement dates for the 2022 Margery Allingham Short Mystery Prize
Closing Date: Monday 28 February 2022 at 6pm GMT (UK time)
Longlist: 22 or 23 April 2022, tba
Shortlist: 13 May 2022 at CrimeFest and online
Winners: End of June/early July, tba
Entry is from this web page.
Read shortlisted and winning competition entries on the left.
How to Write a Winning Story
We asked a former winner of the CWA/Margery Allingham Short Mystery Prize for 6 great tips and here they are:
- Read the great short stories (not just crime fiction) and ask yourself what makes them great
- Don’t kid yourself that writing a short story is much easier than writing a novel
- Think about the effect you want the story to have on the reader
- The opening needs to arrest attention
- The end must leave the reader with a sense of satisfaction
- Between the beginning and the end – don’t waste a word
Want to promote the competition? Download an A4 PDF flyer here.
WINNER 2021
Camilla Macpherson Heartbridge Homicides
A delightful, beautifully written story set in TV soapland. The breezy narration never falters as the charm of solving a crime creeps over the soap’s fan. The judges felt Margery would have loved this story.
Congratulations to Camilla and commiserations to the other shortlisted entrants – it was a very close-run competition.
Shortlist 2021
| Author | Title |
|---|---|
| Antony M Brown | For Laura Hope Coincidence leads a young man on the trail of girl called Laura for a wartime spy story involving Dunkirk and the language of chess. |
| Chris Curran | All the Little Boxes A killer wants to commemorate their successes. But what if murder is hereditary? |
| Camilla Macpherson | Heartbridge Homicides A story set in TV soapland. The breezy narration never falters as the charm of solving a crime creeps over the soap’s fan. |
| Hazell Ward | As Dead as Dodo Who would have thought that not removing hearing aids could be so revelatory? Or the importance of which switch turns out the lights? |
Longlist 2021
| Author | Title |
|---|---|
| Sally Bothroyd | Lingering |
| Susan Breen | One Woman Watch |
| Antony M Brown | For Laura Hope |
| Eileen Castledine | You Never Can Tell |
| Chris Curran | All the Little Boxes |
| Adam Leeder | Trailer |
| Stacy Lucas | The Bones Don’t Lie |
| Camilla Macpherson | Heartbridge Homicides |
| Christine Poulson | The Shape of Australia |
| Alison Riley | To the Moon and Back |
| Natalie Vella | In a Small Town |
| Hazell Ward | As Dead as Dodo |
| J J White | Back to Alcatraz |
Read shortlisted and winning competition entries on the left.
How to Write a Winning Story
We asked a former winner of the CWA/Margery Allingham Short Mystery Prize for 6 great tips and here they are:
- Read the great short stories (not just crime fiction) and ask yourself what makes them great
- Don’t kid yourself that writing a short story is much easier than writing a novel
- Think about the effect you want the story to have on the reader
- The opening needs to arrest attention
- The end must leave the reader with a sense of satisfaction
- Between the beginning and the end – don’t waste a word
Want to promote the competition? Download an A5 PDF flyer here.
Congratulations to the 2020 winner
Della Millward – A Time to Confess
Highly commended
Lauren Everdell – Voices
Laila Murphy – Sting in the Tail
The prizes
The winner receives a generous cash prize of £500 plus two weekend passes to CrimeFest 2022 and a selection of Margery Allingham-related books.
The winner is usually announced at CrimeFest in Bristol, when shortlisted writers can buy tickets just to the ceremony if they prefer. In 2021 arrangements have not yet been finalised due to the pandemic. Email secretary@thecwa.co.uk.